A New Star
by KathleenElizabeth
Summary: When a new girl comes to the Moulin Rouge to replace Satine will she become the next star? Or will a meeting with Christian change her mind? Please r
1. Default Chapter

Vivien stepped off the train. The cold night air crept under her thin coat nipping at her skin. A few men were unloading luggage and she spotted her trunk. She quickly paged a taxi and instructed the men to load her trunk. They hoisted the black trunk onto the top of the carriage. "Alright Miss, where we off to?" The cabby asked climbing to his seat behind his horse. "The Moulin Rouge." She said quietly. He stared at her for a moment. She looked down at her feet a bit embarrassed. "Alright then get in and we'll be off." Vivien nodded and climbed into the carriage. She pulled the door shut and the carriage lurched forward.  
  
A short while later the carriage stopped. The driver came around and opened the door. "Here you are Miss." Vivien stepped out. The glittering lights of the windmill and the music coming from inside greeted her at once. The cabby unloads her trunk as Vivien fishes in her purse for some money. "Thanks Miss." He says taking the money. He glances at her and takes off in his carriage. Vivien looks around for some help with her trunk. Men in tuxedos at the door stand ignoring her. She approaches one. "Sir, I have a meeting with Mr.Zidler this evening. Do you think someone could help me with my trunk?" He looks at her for a moment. "We'll take care of it. Please follow me." He opens the door ushering her in. A burst of color greeted her eyes. Beautiful women of every shape and size dashed about in front of her tossing up their petticoats as men hollered for more.  
  
He quickly led her to a small door. "Go through here and you will find the room you need on the right. The door is marked Satine." She nodded. "Thank you." He bowed and she opened the door. The hallway was narrow and dark. She quickly walked until she came to the door he told her of. The name Satine was painted in red letters on it. She knocked gently. A woman who looked to be in her 50's opened it slowly. "Ah you must be Vivien!" She said smiling at her. "Yes I am." The woman grabbed her arm and pulled her inside. The room was dark and somewhat dingy. "I am Marie welcome to the Moulin Rouge." Vivien smiled. "Well it's a pleasure to be here. How could I pass up a job like this." Marie looked at her for a moment. "Yes, well you will have wonderful living conditions and the boys will love you I'm sure of it. Now dear, let me have a look at you."  
  
Vivien pulled her shabby coat off. Underneath she wore a simple mutton sleeve blue dress. "Well you certainly seem alright so far." Marie smiled as she circled her. She stopped behind her. "Let's have a looksie in the mirror." The two walked to the mirror in the corner. Marie stood behind her smiling. Vivien smiled back into the mirror. You certainly have beautiful hair. Marie pulled the pins out of her bun letting her dark brown locks fall. "And seductive blue eyes. Like Satine." Marie began to unbutton her dress. Vivien pulled the sleeves off her arms and let it fall to the ground. Her corsets were laced as tight as possible and she had on her thigh length tights. "Well I think you have all the makings of the next Moulin Rouge star." Marie said a bit of a sad look in her eyes.  
  
Vivien knew what she was thinking. Another beautiful young girl going to waste. "Ma'am if it makes any difference to you, I've been a prostitute since I was 14. There is nowhere else I could go and nothing else I could do. My father sold me to a whorehouse where we lived. There men could buy me by the hour for as little as three franks. I saved up all I could to come here because I'd always heard my clients talking about how grand and rich the Moulin Rouge girls were." She looked down at the floor for a moment. Marie sighed. "Yes that is the case with many of our girls. At least if you are here with us you will be well taken care of." Vivien managed a little smile and nodded. Anything had to be better than that tiny whorehouse where there weren't even enough beds. Where at times she had to take her clients outback or share the large bed with another girl and her client. She bit her bottom lip holding back a tear. "Yes, Marie anything is better than there." 


	2. The Making Of A Star

Chapter 2  
  
Marie and Vivien sat in silence. Vivien sipped her tea and tried not to act nervous. Then the door flew open. "I see we have a new arrival!" A fat man with very red hair and a red suit on swept into the room. Vivien sat her cup down. "Hello dearie I'm Harold!" Vivien smiled. "I'm Vivien I wrote you a letter a few weeks back." Harold smiled. "Of course! Of course! My new potential!" He took her hand and gently pulled her up out of her seat. "My my my, aren't we just a beautiful girl!" He smiled and glanced at Marie. "You will do perfectly as a main attraction!" He smiled and went to a wardrobe in the corner. Inside were costumes of every color. "Now! Let's see what our little lady can wear!" He began digging through the wardrobe.  
  
"Harold, what are we going to call her?" Marie asked as he tossed aside a black corset. "Oh indeed she needs a show name!" He turned and studied her. "Well we certainly won't call her Vivien." Vivien opened her mouth to protest but closed it. She liked her name but wanted the job more. "Something…racey, new, seductive, and fiery!" Harold said beginning to pace. Marie furrowed her brow in thought. "Nothing with jewels I'm afraid that will make us all think of Satine. No…we need something different." He muttered to himself. "Scarlet!" He cried out. "Of course it's perfect!" He smiled. Vivien smiled back. "Miss. Scarlet the star of the Moulin Rouge!" Vivien giggled. "It's perfect Harold!" She of course will need something red for her routine. "Yes I know Marie!" Harold said going through the wardrobe. He pulled out a long white box with the string still around it. "I had this made for Satine, she never got to wear it, now it will be yours." He handed Vivien the box. She put it on her lap and pulled the string off.  
  
Carefully she lifted the top off. Inside was a red corset covered in rubies. She gasped in awe. She ran her hand over it not believing it was hers to wear. The top was edged in diamonds. "I can really wear this?" She asked looking up at Marie and Harold in awe. "But of course!" They chimed together. "Marie I trust you to put together some sort of hat and shoes for her outfit by tomorrow." Harold said walking over to Vivien. "Of course." She said. Harold pulled Vivien into a hug. "Welcome to your new home darling!" She smiled. "Thank you." She managed before he left the room.  
  
The next morning Marie woke her. "Time for a bit of breakfast before practice!" Marie sat a tray on the foot of the bed. "You can wear these petticoats with your own corset to practice love." Vivien nodded pulling the cover off the plate. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, and biscuits lay on the silver plate steaming. "Oh my! All this food, for me for breakfast?" Marie laughed. "Yes for you now eat up so we can get you downstairs." Vivien nodded as she chewed the bacon. Marie smiled and left her to eat. Excited to get to work she hurriedly ate her meal. Already in her corset she pulled on the red petticoat Marie had left as well as some red heels. She pulled her long dark hair back and tossed it into a sloppy bun tying a red ribbon she had found on the dresser around it. Checking in the mirror to make sure she looked decent she made her way down to the dance floor. She passed several open doors. Girls like herself were inside pulling on petticoats while snacking on bacon or eggs. She walked out onto the dance floor where several girls were already gathered. They eyed her talking in whispers. One very beautiful girl came up to her. "I'm China Doll, and you are?" Vivien smiled. "I'm Vivien…..well that's my real name. Harold said I am to be called Miss.Scarlet." The girl smiled, "I see well welcome to the Moulin Rouge." Harold came rushing over to her. "Darling!" He cried taking Vivien's arm. "Meet Toulouse, he does the posters for us and is one of our frequent customers." A tiny man with a small beard and goatee smiled up at her. "Ah just as bewtifuw as Miss Satine!" He said kissing her hand. She smiled, "Why thank you! I hope I can live up to her talent!" Toulouse smiled. "I'm shure you vill!" Vivien smiled the small man seemed to be very kind.  
  
"Girls girls girls!" Zidler called motioning them all forward. They all gathered round him looking rather bored. "Meet our new little star! Miss. Scarlet!" Beaming he pulled Vivien into the middle. Several of the girls smiled at her. The rest exchanged glances and smirks. Vivien glanced around the group nervously. "Now we will of course be needing a new routine! I have of course spent another sleepless night searching for new cutting edge ideas." He put his hand to his forehead looking forlorn and tired. Sevral of the girls rolled their eyes. "Oi Harry just tell us what the new routine is." Shot one of them. Several laughed as did Zidler. He smiled and motioned for the girls to follow him. He made his way across the floor to the stage that had been use little. He launched into a speech. There was to be a great deal of lights and spectacle over Vivien. She was a bit surprised but realized she would have to work hard to live up to all of this.  
  
She was to stand on a platform that would be raised high above the stage to begin her number. She would then be lowered to the level of the stage to join the girls in a dance and song. Then she would go onto the floor and dance alone to finish the number. The few band members who had assembled began to practice the music they had prepared. It was very edgy and loud. Vivien smiled and joined a line of girls dancing. They were working out some new moves and showing Vivien the trademark ones. She was having a lot of fun actually. Zidler smiled and busied himself in directing one of the prop masters. Vivien wandered away from the group over to the platform she would stand on.  
  
She stepped up onto the platform. It was small with a gold rail along the back. She pulled herself up onto the rail as Zidler approached her. "Here are your lines love." He handed her a paper with words typed on it. "Read over them and we'll go through the whole thing in a bit!" He said bounding off to see to the dancers. Vivien read over them singing them in her head. She liked them, they were perfect. She hummed the tune and worked out her dance while running the words through her head. "Alright people!" Zidler yelled clapping his hands. The group crowded around him on the stage. "Let's take this from the top." The girls nodded and got into position. Vivien made her way to the platform. "Love we're going to lower the platform now." Vivien nodded and the platform lurched below the stage. Her heart began to race as she waited beneath the stage. She took a deep breath. "It's not even the real thing." She told herself. Above her the lights dimmed and the room went quite.  
  
The drums sounded the beginning of the song. "Oh, I, I,I" Vivien sang. Her platform jerked and slowly moved upwards. She pulled herself onto the rail. "I wanna be bad witchu baby." She sang in a low seductive voice. She was now emerging from below the stage. The lights flashed upon her and she could see Zidler and his staff beaming. "I've done it! I'm the star of the Moulin Rouge." She thought. 


End file.
